News / Features

Houston-Area Homes Sales Are Out of Your League

Single-family homes sales in League City were up 13.7 percent in April from last year, and they’re part of a wide-ranging trend towards greater sales activity and economic growth in the Houston metropolitan area. According to the Houston Association

Are We Missing the Boat on Housing Affordability?

The last six months, housing affordability has been one of the few give-ins regarding housing. With record-low interest rates and competitively-priced homes, affordability is at its highest level in more than 40 years…or is it? A new study by

Citizens’ Environmental Coalition Pushes For a Mass Transit Line

The Citizens’ Environmental Coalition presented its plan, ‘Visions for a Greener Houston Summit Proceedings,’ to city council members and the public Thursday, June 7. The report, presented at the city’s Green Building Resource Center, outlines short-term and long-term proposals

Housing Starts Data Up 28.5 Percent from May 2011, Houston Market ‘Accelerating,’ Says Linda Marshall of Linda Marshal Realtors

Privately-owned housing starts in May were up 28.5 percent from last year, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In addition, building permits increased by both monthly and

Houston’s Single-Family Sales Leap 23.9 Percent in May

We’ve got an early read on single-family home sales from the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR), and they’re great news for the Houston real estate market. According to a post on HAR’s website from Tom Plant, sales for May

NAHB Builder Confidence at Highest Level Since 2007

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) increased one point in June to its highest level since May of 2007. That might not sound like a big deal, but every little point counts – and

5 Ways Not to Be an Idiot on Facebook

Let’s face it, few things are more painful than a Facebook user who has little grasp of the medium. We’ve all seen it – posts written entirely in ALL CAPS, cheesy videos, meaningless status updates – an all with

Foreclosure Filings Down 4 Percent From 2011

National foreclosure filings, which include default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions, were up 9 percent from April to May but down 4 percent from May 2011, according to new data from RealtyTrac. For May, one in every 639

3 Ways to Avoid Contract Failures in Real Estate

Contract failures have been one of the more recurring problems in real estate in recent months, and with roughly a third of agents experiencing them, they have easily garnered a reputation among Realtors as one of the main inhibitors to

CoreLogic – Shadow Inventory Down 14.8 Percent in April

The shadow inventory decreased by 14.8 percent year-over-year in April, according to new data from analytics firm CoreLogic. Since April 2011, the shadow inventory has fallen by more than 300,000 units to its present level of 1.5 million, which

5 Tips for the Introverted Real Estate Agent

Extroverts make up 60 to 75 percent of the human population, and occasionally, it can seem like introverts – the other, more subtle side of the equation – are left behind. Which is a shame, because even though real

3 Question to Ask Your Clients Before They Pursue a Mortgage

Last week, the mortgage markets reflected what would appear to be an ideal homebuying environment; mortgage applications were up 18 percent, reaching their highest level since 2009. Yet, when looking at big numbers like that, it’s easy to forget this

International Homebuyers Invest $82.5 Billion in U.S. Real Estate

Total international residential sales in the U.S. was $82.5 billion in the past year ending on March 2012, a 24 percent increase from 2011. According a new report from the National Association of Realtors, a number of factors have

66 Percent of Real Estate Agents Disapprove of President Obama

It’s election season, and polls seem to be more prevalent than the cherry trees in Washington, D.C., but a new Q2 2012 survey from HomeGain has some interesting findings for how the real estate community views the president –

5 Real Estate Jargon Terms to Cast Into the Sea

Acceleration clause. Addendum. Amortization. Assignment. Oh yes, we’re talkin’ real estate jargon – and we haven’t even gotten through the A’s yet! Real estate is one of those industries that can lay on the jargon pretty thick sometimes, and

‘Mad’ About Real Estate? 3 Draper-isms to Keep in Mind

The fifth season of “Mad Men” concluded on Sunday, and in the show’s trademark fashion, it mixed business and pleasure in ways that only Don Draper, Roger Sterling and co. are capable of doing. But although Mr. Draper may

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